Ten Little Indians

Ten people find themselves on an isolated island, and one by one they begin to die, is the killer hiding on the island, or hiding in plain sight?

For my shame I haven't watched this movie for about a decade, that's bad on my part, because it is a superb adaptation.

Who'd have thought that a Russian adaptation of Agatha Christie's incredible novel, would be the first to follow through with the original ending, it took some courage not to opt for the softer conclusion.

Great atmosphere, it's tense, suspenseful and claustrophobic, they truly captured the tone and essence of the book. Some of the earlier adaptations, films I love, but have a degree of humour, the book is a straight up thriller, it doesn't have sentiment or humour, this adaptation is bleak, as is the story.

Each of the characters look the part, Miss Brent looks exactly as I pictured the character from the book, as so The Doctor and Judge.

The music is great, the visuals are spot on, I love the property they use, it has that isolated feel.

I only wish a British made adaptation had been made along these lines, not until the later BBC series was it adapted again.

Perfect adaptation, 10/10.

Desyat Negrityat is a 1987 Soviet film based on the Agatha Christie novel Ten Little Indians. Its director, Stanislav Govorukhin, also wrote the script. This adaptation draws attention with the fact that almost no part of the novel has changed.

This adaptation draws attention with the fact that almost no part of the novel has changed. Unlike previous Hollywood/British adaptations of the same story, none of the characters or their crimes have been changed, and the film ends with the original brutal finale of Agatha Christie's novel.

I won't rehash the storyline which everyone knows but just a few comments:

Plus points: -the first film adaptation which sticks to the ending as outlined in the novel

-dialogue is very much as per the novel. If you know the book well, the subtitles are almost superfluous as you will know what the characters are saying

-the choice of location for filming was inspired. Oddly, the external shots feel more claustrophobic than those inside the house. The crucial scene at the end between Vera and Lombard is powerfully shot with the sea almost a background character on its own.

Minus points: -At times it can be difficult to distinguish Lombard from Blore. Facially, they are very alike.

-The actress playing Emily Brent is too young...equally, the character playing Anthony Marston is some 10 years too old.

-There's something lacking with the interior shots which fail, at times, to convey the cloying claustrophobia so evident in the book. It may be that there are simply too many daylight scenes.

While I prefer the 2015 BBC adaptation, this 1987 Soviet version is in second place, well ahead of any of the previous adaptations.

However, no film version will ever beat the novel itself and the imagery those words conjure up in the reader's imagination. It's still the only book I can pick up and read from start to finish without a break.

ahh.....After a difficult search, I managed to find a video copy (with subtitles) of the film described above. The other reviewer was the reason I was prompted to find this film. It is indeed the best adaptation of A. Christie's classic suspense thriller. The most gratifying thing is being able to see everybody end up exactly where they are supposed to be in the book. After all, it is called, "And Then There Were None," not called, "And Then There Were Two." Acting, direction, and photography are exquisite. Keep eyes on auction sites for people who have copies of this one....it IS out there somewhere!!

I must say first off that I am a HUGE Christie fan; Ten Little Indians was the first Christie novel I had read and I was just blown away! The story was so complex and the resolution so brilliant that I was left speechless. What made this story so great is the fact that everything one usually suspects to happen in a book... for instance, one realises early in to tha book that everyone on the island is marked for death... but almost always there are usually two heroic characters who fall in love and overcome the antagonist. When one thinks that, one tends to look at Miss Claythorn and Lombard as the two who likely fit the bill... but this is not so, for they never fall in love, nor are they by any means likable people (they both were murderers and one even killed a little boy). Then, of course there is the fact that they both die.

One would think that this would be the subject of a thousand wonderful adaptation... Well, it's almost right. There were many film versions but none matched up to the book's splendor. Then I finally get my hands on this (not easy) and I was stunned at how good it was... it follows the book all the way down to the original ending. The characters were well played, the plot was quick, and the scenery was beautiful.... all in all I I've this film a 9/10.